Durban South Africa

Jason Ribbink

Born in 73 and based in Durban, South Africa, Jason is an internationalally renowned surfer who owns and manages Bilt Surfboards.
Growing up in the robust environment of Durban Surf Lifesaving Club, Jason swapped his paddle boards for surfboards early on and in his grommet years showed his peers that his reputation as a waterman and wave catching machine was well earned. Followed in the footsteps of his dad, Biff Ribbink, ex Springbok Lifesaver and African Vets Surfing Champion 2000, the surfing genes run through the family as Jason’s brother, Brandon ‘Bones’ Ribbink is also a prominent figure in the surfing and lifesaving world.

Jason has been on the forefront of South African surfing since he was a junior establishing a worldwide reputation that has encompassed every discipline including short board, longboard and tow-surfing. In big waves, Jason is recognised as a giant, charging the world’s biggest waves with the world`s best surfers so much so that he was honored with an invite to the Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Big Wave Invitiational at Waimea five years ago.Jason believes in long and regular gym sessions, long and regular surf sessions, and everything in between.

Ever since his over-the-falls at Dungeons at the inaugural event, Jason has been in the coalface of big wave surfing in South Africa and on an international level. Jason has surfed Jaws and Waimea impressing at both. He has attempted to surf monstrous ocean waves off the Transkei coast, and has searched up and down our coastlines in search for the biggest waves on offer. Relentless in his search for bigger and heavier situations, Jason has also always been a stand-out at Dungeons.

The session that went down at Dungeons when Jason got the winning wave in the Vodacom Performance Awards was a wild one, with rogue 50-foot waves breaking in the channel, and some serious lumps of water bearing down on the surfers, and the photographer’s boat. When the sea mist had settled it was a 45-foot wave that won Jason the award, up to that point the biggest wave ever ridden at Dungeons.

Although Jason has a string of accolades to his name in an array of longboarding and shortboarding competitions and events, he’s now focused on building a seriously competitive range of Bilt surfboards for customers all around the world.

Nowadays you’ll find Jason surfing with his son, James at the breaks in and around Durban. James now all of ten years old recently won a SA Junior Surfing’s accolade in the 2012 Jefferies Bay Championships. Achievements:
Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2000 – 3rd
Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2003 – Finalist
Winner of the Oakley Big Wave Award 2004
Biggest Tube 2006
Guest surfer at the Vodacom Spring Break in Sun City
Vodacom4U Biggest Wave Performance Awards 2004
First South African invited to the Quicksilver Big Wave Invitational Event at Waimea Bay, Hawaii, winter 2007/2008.
Captain of the winning SA Team ISA World Games held in Durban South Africa 2002

LONG BOARDS
SA Longboard Open Champion
Second place – Oxbow World Tour 2001
Winner of Sacra Remo Pro Brazil
Third ISA World Games 2002

TOW-SURFING
The pioneer of tow-surfing in South Africa, Jason has towed at Dungeons, Jaws in Maui, Hawaii, The Bellows and a host of secret spots.

JET SKI EXPEDITION
Crewmember of the historical Coast 2 Coast 4 CANSA expedition that covered more than 2800 km’s from Ponta De Oura to Orange River Mouth Namibia on a Yamaha WaveRunner.